India plans to allocate 12 crore COVID vaccine doses to states this month

India has planned to provide 12 crore doses of COVID-19 vaccines this month in government as well as private hospitals across 37 states and Union Territories (UTS) covering people above 18 years of age.

Union Health Minister Harsh Vardhan made the announcement declaring that the states have already been informed in advance about COVID-19 vaccine supplies for July and that the information was shared with them 15 days prior, along with details about day-wise supply.

"Total of 12 crore doses shall be made available in July. Private hospital supply will be over and above this," Vardhan said in a tweet.

The Minister also mentioned that vaccination speed picked up after the Central government provided 75 per cent of vaccines available for free, and 11.50 crore doses were given in June.

As per the Centre's COVID vaccine allocation plan for July, India's two indigenous drugs — Serum Institute's Covishield and Bharat Biotech's Covaxin — will be provided to the states. Of the 10 crore doses of Covishield and two crore doses of Covaxin will be allocated to the states and the UTs this month to overall estimated coverage of 94,47,09,596 targeted population for above 18 age group.

However, it is clarified that these COVID vaccines will be allocated to the states and the UTs on "pro-rata basis based on availability" and that Uttar Pradesh will be given maximum of 1,91,16,830 doses followed by Maharashtra (1,15,25,170), Bihar (91,81,930), West Bengal (90,12,680), Tamil Nadu (71,01,320), Andhra Pradesh (70,86,320), Madhya Pradesh (70,28,800), Rajasthan (65,20,220), Karnataka (59,98,450), Gujarat (59,79,310), Odisha (40,67,870) and Kerala (36,50,680).

For the national capital, the Centre has planned to provide 20,26,110 doses of COVID vaccines covering 1,59,50,750 people and 11,09,130 doses to Jammu and Kashmir inoculating 87,31,752 individuals, and 28,000 to Ladakh administering the drug to 2,20,448 residents there.

However, Jharkhand will be allocated 33,13,540 COVID jabs followed by Assam (29,28,580), Punjab (28,16,090), Telangana (27,99,290), Haryana (25,43,460), Chhattisgarh (24,01,780), Uttarakhand (9,86,160), Himachal Pradesh (6,96,010), Tripura (3,50,480), Manipur (2,50,130), Meghalaya (2,64,560), Nagaland (2,07,340), Chandigarh (2,00,150), Goa (1,99,560), Puducherry (1,82,060), Arunachal Pradesh (1,24,260), Mizoram (1,00,020), Sikkim (58,840), Andaman and Nicobar (55,110), Dadar and Nagar Haveli (45,410), Daman & Diu (36,730) and Lakshadweep (7,630).

India began its vaccination drive on January 16 this year and it has so far inoculated over 33.57 crore people across the country.